AMONG the disciples who were more immediately attendant upon the Savior, during the continuance of his ministry, there were three who appear to have occupied a very prominent position--Peter, James, and John. They were all Galileans. James and John were the sons of Zebedee and Salome. They are first mentioned Matt. 4:21, where is contained the account of their being called to leave their occupation upon the Sea of Galilee, and attend upon the ministry of Jesus. From that time, they are very prominent actors in the events which take place, until James is put to death by Herod, as recorded in Acts 12:1, 2. From this period, John also disappears from the sacred history, excepting that, in the book of Revelation, (1:9,) he alludes to himself as then residing, in exile, in the Isle of Patmos. This is a small island in the Egean Sea, nearly opposite to Miletus. A tradition has come down from ancient times, that he spent many years of his life in Ephesus, before his banishment, and that he afterwards returned to Ephesus, where he died, at a great age. It was this John who was the author of the following history.

      The narrative of the incidents in our Savior's life, and the record of his sayings, which John has given, are strikingly different, in the genius and spirit which characterize the composition, from those of the other three Evangelists. His mind was of a very different turn from theirs, so that a class of events and conversations which they have passed by, seem to have been those which most interested him. And, in fact, the gentleness of his cast of character, and the refinement and cultivation of his mind,--the qualities, apparently, which endeared him to the Savior, as a personal companion,--have made him, as an author, the general favorite, among readers of the Bible, in every age.

      1, 2. This very remarkable language unequivocally establishes, in one clause, an identity between the existence called the Word and the supreme Jehovah; and in another, it [200] as clearly marks a contradistinction between them. We are forced therefore, upon the alternative of either admitting, some incomprehensible distinction, in the oneness of the Godhead, or else peremptorily rejecting this testimony. And, if we were prepared to take the responsibility of doing the latter in any case, we most certainly could not do it in this, relating, as it does, to the nature, and to the personal identity, of the Supreme Being--subjects more than all others beyond the cognizance and comprehension of man.

      5. And the light, &c. The meaning is, that the light shone into this world of darkness and sin, but the world would not receive it.

      7. To bear witness of the Light; to announce the coming of the Light.

      9. Every man that cometh into the world; that is, Jews as well as Gentiles. The meaning is, that the salvation which Christ came to bring, was not to be restricted to any people or class, but was offered freely to all.

      11. Unto his own; unto the world, which was his own.

      12. To them gave he power to become the sons of God; made them the sons of God; that is, like God in the spirit and temper of their minds.

      13. Which were born; that is, as sons of God.--Not of blood, &c.; that is, not by nature, but by the grace of God.

      14. Was made flesh; became man. The statement here made, taken in connection with what is said of the Word in the opening verses of the chapter, seems to be so direct and unequivocal, that the doctrine of the inhering of a divine nature in the person of Jesus Christ, and that of the inspiration of the Word, of God, must be received or rejected together. It seems impossible to reject the one without renouncing the other.

      15. He was before me; he existed before me.

      18. Hath seen God; known God.--In the bosom of the Father; closely conjoined with him.--Hath declared him; made him known; revealed him to mankind.

      19. The record; the testimony. [201]

      20. Some persons, in those days, were inclined to believe that John the Baptist was himself the Messiah. This is intimated in Luke 3:15; and decisive evidence of it is contained in the writings of the early Christians. It was to meet and refute this error, that the evangelist thus repeatedly and emphatically adduces the testimony of John the Baptist in favor of Jesus. (Comp. v. 8 and 15,)

      21. I am not; that is, he was not Elias, or Elijah, in a literal and personal sense. The Jews understood the prophecy, Mal. 4:5, to mean that Elias himself was to rise from the dead, and reappear upon earth; whereas the meaning was, that a new prophet should arise, with the bold and energetic character of Elijah, as is expressed by the angel, Luke 1:17.--That prophet. It is not certain to what expectation of the Jews this question refers. From Matt. 16:14, it seems that the reappearance of Jeremiah might have been looked for as a prelude to the coming of Christ. In Deut. 18:15, the coming of a prophet is mentioned; and this may have been the prediction referred to here.

      25. Why baptizest thou then, &c. Baptism seems to be here spoken of as a customary religious rite, which any distinguished religious teacher in might be expected to perform.

      26. There standeth one among you; that is, there is one now living among you.

      29. This language seems unequivocally to represent the Redeemer to us in the light of a great sacrifice offered for sin.

      30. Of whom I said; as stated in v. 15.

      31. I knew him not; that is, as the Messiah. It is evident, from Matt. 3:14, 15, that Jesus was personally known to John when he came to be baptized; as, in fact, considering the relation subsisting between their mothers, arising out of the circumstances related by Luke, (1: & 2:) must almost necessarily have been the case. He knew him, however, only as a devout and holy man, until after the baptismal ceremony was performed; when it was revealed to him that he was the Messiah, in the manner specified in the two following verses.--But that, &c. The meaning is, that he knew only that the Messiah was about to appear. [202]

      39. The tenth hour; the latter part of the afternoon.

      43. Into Galilee; where he had another interview with Peter and Andrew, and called them to be his disciples, as related Matt. 4:18-20, and more particularly Luke 5:1-11.

      46. Nazareth was an obscure village of Galilee and the whole region was held in very little esteem. It was remote from Jerusalem; thinly peopled, mountainous, and wild; and connected, in many ways, with the various Gentile nations around it.

      51. What Jesus intended by this declaration, and when and how it was [203] fulfilled, is not known. Most commentators regard the language as figurative, supposing it to mean only that Nathanael should see Jesus, in various circumstances of life, the object of the special protection of Heaven. This does not, however, seem to be a very natural construction.

      1. Cana of Galilee; not far from Capernaum.

      2. Called; invited.

      3. When they wanted wine; that is, after exhausting the supply which had been provided. The deficiency in the supply indicated that the scene of the occurrence was in humble life; and yet, when all the circumstances of the invitation to this wedding are considered, they show that Mary's condition was not one of absolute poverty and destitution, as is sometimes supposed.

      4. Woman. According to the usage of those times, this was a respectful and proper mode of address.

      5. Whatsoever, &c. The mother of Jesus appears to have been in expectation of some extraordinary interposition from her Son on this occasion; but what were the particular grounds of this expectation does not appear, for no previous instance of the exercise of his miraculous powers had occurred.

      6. After the manner, &c. The ceremonial ablutions enjoined by Jewish laws and usages, required, in an entertainment to which many guests were invited, a large quantity of water. These vases seem to have been used as reservoirs, furnishing, when filled, a sufficient supply at hand. Clauses of explanation, like this, occurring frequently in John's Gospel, corroborate the supposition that it was written, or at least intended to be read, beyond the limits of Judea.

      8. The governor of the feast; the person who presided at the table.

      10. Have well drunk; have drunk sufficiently.

      12. Capernaum; a large town upon the shores of the Lake of Galilee.--His brethren. This expression is used [204] to designate some near relatives of Jesus, particularly James the Less and Joses.

      14. In the temple; in one of the courts, or outer enclosures of the temple. The oxen, sheep, and doves, were for sacrifices. The changers of money were men who furnished the kind of coin necessary for offerings. (Ex. 30:13.)

      15. A scourge of small cords; as an emblem, not an instrument, of authority. Such a scourge, as a weapon of offence against numbers, would be useless; so that the buyers and sellers are to be understood as yielding, not to force, but to the authority which Jesus assumed as a prophet--an authority always held by the Jews in the highest veneration.

      16. An expulsion of the buyers and sellers from the temple, very similar to this, is described by the other evangelists as taking place near the close of our Savior's ministry. (Matt. 21:12, Luke 19:45, 46.) It is perhaps not quite certain whether Jesus repeatedly performed this work, or whether this is the same transaction, related, as is often the case in St. John's history, out of the order of time.

      17. Hath eaten me up; consumed me; meaning that he was wholly absorbed in zeal for the honor of the house of God.

      18. What sign; what proof that you are entitled to the authority of a prophet, which you assume.

      20. Some have supposed that Jesus indicated by a gesture that he referred to his own body, and that the Jews wilfully perverted his meaning. But this is a conjecture, which, instead of improving, destroys the force and beauty of the reply. It was undoubtedly intended as an enigma which time was to explain; for it is clear, from v. 22, that even his disciples did not understand him. [205]

      2. By night; secretly, for fear of his associates and friends.

      3. Jesus answered, &c. There is no apparent connection between the reply of Jesus and the words of Nicodemus. Undoubtedly much of the conversation was omitted.--Be born again; altogether and entirely changed in the temper and disposition of the mind.

      4. How can a man, &c. We are not to suppose that Nicodemus seriously understood our Lord as using the language in its literal signification; but, not knowing precisely what he did intend, he employs these expressions as an emphatic mode of asking an explanation. In fact, the Savior's reply seems to indicate, not so much that Nicodemus misunderstood what he meant to say, as that he was our surprised at its extraordinary import.

      5. Of water and of the Spirit. Water is emblematical of the public profession of repentance, and the Spirit is the agent that produces the inward change. The meaning, therefore, is, that an entire change in the spiritual condition of the soul must be openly avowed and truly experienced, to fit the sinner for the kingdom of heaven.

      6. The meaning seems to be, that the qualities which are inherited by natural birth are earthly and sensual, and that a great change, to be wrought only by the Holy Spirit, will make man heavenly-minded and pure.

      8. Where it listeth; where it will--Thou hearest, &c.; that is, we see the effect produced, but we cannot understand the operation of the cause.

      10. He ought to have known them, for the power of God, in respect to the renewal of the heart, is often recognized in the Old Testament, especially in the book of Psalms.

      14. Be lifted up. It is uncertain whether the meaning is exalted in honor, as expressed Matt. 28:18, or [206] whether the reference is to his being raised upon the cross in ignominy, as in John 12:32-34.

      16. With the fifteenth verse appears to end our Savior's conversation with Nicodemus; the remarks which follow, to v. 21, inclusive, being probably the comments made by John upon the conversation; for they resemble very much, both in sentiment and diction, the composition of the evangelist, while they are unlike the sayings of the Savior. Other similar cases of this character hereafter occur. For evidence of the effect which this conversation, and the Savior's ministry in general, produced on Nicodemus, see John 7:50, 51. 19:39.

      19. The condemnation; the ground of their condemnation. Compare verses 19, 20, 21, with 1:1-14, for evidence that these are the remarks of the evangelist, and not of Jesus.

      24. For John was not yell cast into prison. From the first three Evangelists one would naturally conclude that our Lord's public ministry only began after the Baptist's imprisonment. But here, about six months, probably, after our Lord had entered upon His public ministry, we find the Baptist still at his work of preaching and baptizing. How much longer this continued cannot be determined with certainty; but probably not very long. For the great importance of this little verse for the right harmonizing of the Gospels, and determining the probable duration of our Lord's ministry, see on Matt. 4:12.

      25. Purifying; baptism.

      26. They expected to have excited a feeling of displeasure in the mind of John, that Jesus, who had been among his disciples, and was baptized by him, and indebted to him for a public testimonial in his favor, should now be advancing beyond John in popular regard. [207]

      29. This my joy; that is, the joy of the friend of the bridegroom. John means to say that he rejoiced in the success and celebrity of the Savior's ministry, instead of regarding it, as his disciples had anticipated, with envy and chagrin.

      31. It has been considered uncertain whether the words which follow, to the end of the chapter, are a continuation of the conversation of John the Baptist, or the remarks of St. John, the author of this Gospel. On the one hand, there is nothing to mark a transition; but, then, on the other hand, the remaining verses exhibit strikingly the style and mode of expression characteristic of the evangelist. It is, perhaps, most probable that they are intended to represent the general sentiments of the speaker, but clothed in language by the writer,--and thus exhibiting the peculiarities of his diction.

      32. And no man receiveth, &c.; a remark more likely to be made by John the evangelist, when writing his history long after our Savior's death, and when he had been so decidedly rejected by the Jews, than by John the Baptist, just at the commencement of his ministry, when, as it is expressed in v. 26, all men were coming unto him.

      34. By measure; sparingly.

      1. How the Pharisees had heard, &c.; and were consequently beginning to manifest feelings of envy and opposition.

      3. Into Galilee; as a place of greater retirement and safety.

      4. Samaria; a country lying between Judea and Galilee.

      6. Jacob's well. This well is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but its memory has been preserved from the time of our Savior to the present day. It in an object of great interest [208] to travellers in Palestine. It is near the foot of Mount Gerizim, on the great road from Jerusalem to Galilee. The city of Sychar, called, in the Old Testament, Shechem, afterwards, by the Romans, Neapolis, and now Nabulus, lies about half an hour's walk from the well, by a road passing westerly up a narrow valley between Gerizim and Ebal. At the foot of the mountain, east of the well, there extends, for miles, a very fertile plain, whose harvests may have suggested the image in v. 35. The lower part of the well is excavated in the solid rock, the mouth being covered with a vaulted chamber solid masonry. Some hundred years after Christ, as if fearing that the place might be forgotten, the Christians built a monumental church over the spot, to perpetuate its memory. The church has long since crumbled away and disappeared; but the simple subterranean architecture, which it was intended to commemorate, remains apparently unchanged.--Thus; therefore, on that account.--The sixth hour; noon.

      8. Meat; food,--intending to eat it at the well in the open air.

      9. No dealings; no friendly dealings, of the nature of social intercourse. There was a bitter religious controversy between them, as specified in v. 20.

      10. The gift of God; which she was then receiving; that is, the favor bestowed upon her in granting her this interview.

      14. A well of water springing up, &c.; that is, a fountain of perpetual life, peace, and happiness.

      19. Her faith rested on somewhat insufficient grounds,--as there are many modes by which a stranger might have become accidentally acquainted with the circumstances of her life. It is important that we should believe not only right, but for right reasons.

      20. In this mountain; Mount Gerizim. It is interesting, though [209] melancholy, to see how entirely all the great spiritualities of religion are thrown out of her view, by the prominence of this question of her sect,--mere question of ritual.--To worship; referring to public national worship.

      35. Lift up your eyes, &c.; that is, survey the moral and spiritual condition of the world, the image being drawn, perhaps, from the appearance of the fertile plain, spread out before them.

      38. Other men, labored, &c.; the Prophet and other religious teachers of the Jews, whose instructions might be considered as preparatory to the publication of the gospel of Christ.

      39. In the suburbs of Nabulus, at the foot of Gerizim, travellers still find a small remnant of the Samaritans, adhering, as tenaciously as ever to the tenets and customs of their fathers. They retain their ancient copies of the Pentateuch, their synagogue, and their priests; and they continue to ascend, four times a year, in solemn processions, to offer sacrifices among the sacred ruins upon the summit of the mountain. [210]

      44. In his own country. Nazareth was the home of Joseph and Mary; and it was to another part of Galilee, as it appears, that he returned at this time.

      47. Unto him; that is, he came up from Capernaum to Cana.

      51. Going down; to Capernaum, his residence, which was upon the shore of the lake.

      1. A feast; perhaps the passover.

      2. Porches. These seem to have been small erections for the accommodation of the sick that resorted to the water.

      4. An angel went down and troubled the water, &c.; that is, so they supposed. The meaning is, that such was the popular opinion; for that God [211] would really thus miraculously interpose, to throw down, from time to time, a single boon among a company of cripples, to be seized by the most forward, selfish, and eager, leaving those most discouraged, helpless, and miserable, to be overwhelmed again and again with bitter disappointment, is a supposition not admissible. The periodical agitations observed in the water were produced, perhaps, by a bubbling up, at intervals, from the fountain, as is not unusual with springs to which medical virtues are attributed; and the popular belief respecting them is stated, apparently, in order to explain the reply of the sick man to Jesus in v. 7.

      13. Had conveyed himself away, to avoid the danger of a tumult.

      16. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus. It was with this design that they inquired, (v. 12;) but the man, in giving them the information, did not intend this result. He spoke (v. 15) to honor Jesus, not to betray him, as is indicated by the form of his expression. If the latter had been his design, he would have told the Jews that it was Jesus who directed him to take up his bed and walk, not that it was Jesus who had made him whole.

      19. Can do nothing of himself; that is, nothing counter to the will of the Father, as is shown to be the meaning by the next clause. [212]

      21. To quicken is to restore the dead to life.

      24. From death; from spiritual death.

      25. The dead; the spiritually dead. The sense in which the term is used is fixed by the last clause of the preceding verse.

      26. To have life; to have the power of giving life.

      27. Because he is the Son of man; that is, the Messiah; the phrase "the Son of man" being one of the forms of expression known among the Jews as a designation of the Messiah.

      28. Marvel not at this; at what was said in v. 25, in respect to the power of the Son to bestow spiritual life; for, as he proceeds to say, the time is coming when those who are literally dead shall be raised by his voice; the expression, "all that are in the graves," referring to those whose bodies are dead.

      30. Of mine own self; separate from and independent of the Father. The idea is, that all the aims and designs of the Father and of the Son, are one and inseparable, as the remaining clauses show.--As I hear, that is, perceive and understand the will of the Father.

      31. If I, &c.; meaning that such an objection might be advanced by his enemies.

      32. Another; not John, mentioned in the next verse,--for he says (v. 34) that he will not appeal to the testimony of John,--but the Father, as stated below. (v. 36.) [213]

      36. To finish; to accomplish.

      37. Ye have neither heard his voice, &c.; that is, You have not been willing to listen to him, or to see, nor (v. 38) to obey his word.

      43. Another shall come; some false Christ.

      45. Moses; referring to the predictions of Moses in respect to the Messiah, which they would not receive.

      1-21. The other evangelists have also given accounts of these transactions. (Matt. 14:13-34. Mark 6:30-53. Luke 9:10-17.) There are only two or three other instances with the exception of the events connected with the closing scenes of the Savior's life, in which John narrates incidents which the other evangelists have recorded.

      1. Went over the Sea; probably to avoid the hostility of Herod, as it was immediately after he had beheaded John the Baptist. (Matt. 14:12, 13.) [214]

      9. A lad here; perhaps an attendant employed to carry provisions.

      14. That Prophet; meaning the Messiah, as appears by their design of raising an insurrection against Herod, to make him king in his stead.

      17. Jesus was not come to them; having remained behind to allay the excitement among the people.

      22. On the other side; that is, on the side where the miracle had been performed.

      25. When camest thou hither? as there had been no boat in which he could have been conveyed from the opposite shore; though John says (v. 23.) that other boats afterwards arrived, in which they themselves probably embarked. [215]

      30. They said; they and others of the people of Capernaum, who, perhaps, had not witnessed the miracle of feeding the five thousand.

      32. Moses gave you not. The meaning is, that the true bread from heaven was not the manna of Moses, but the spiritual food bestowed upon the believer through Christ.

      35. Shall never hunger and--never thirst; never suffer the want of spiritual food. [216]

      51. Which I will give, &c.; referring to the sacrifice of himself upon the cross.

      53. Eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man; in a spiritual sense; that is, become thoroughly imbued with the spiritual influences arising out of the instructions, the example, and, more than all, the dying sufferings, of the Redeemer.

      59. In the synagogue; not as an address to a congregation, at public worship, but in conversation with bystanders. The synagogue was a place of general resort on all occasions.

      63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, it is spiritual food which gives true and real life; the flesh--that is, what relates to the body--is, of little value.

      67. Will ye also, &c.; that is, Do you wish or, desire to go away? There [217] seems to be nothing in the preceding discourse from which we should anticipate that feelings of resistance and animosity would be awakened, unless it is the sentiment expressed in the conclusion, (v. 65,) that the human soul never seeks spiritual good from its own spontaneous impulses, but that, if it turns at all into the way of life, it turns in consequence of a prevenient action exerted upon it by Almighty God. This truth is repeatedly recognized in this conversation. (v. 37, 44, 45, 65.)

      1. Walked in Galilee; continued there,--as it was in Galilee that the occurrences described in the last chapter took place.--Jewry; Judea.--The Jews sought to kill him. They formed the design when he was in Jerusalem, as stated 5:16-18.

      2. Feast of tabernacles; an annual celebration commemorative of the dwelling of the Israelites in tents or tabernacles. It was held in the autumn, the passover occurring in the spring. It continued several days, (v. 37,) during which time the people assembled at Jerusalem, and lived in tents and booths, and imitated the modes of life and usages of their fathers in the wilderness, as particularly described in Neh. 8:13-18. For other allusions to this feast in the Old Testament, see Lev. 23:34-36. Deut. 16:13-15.

      3. His brethren; his relatives and friends.

      4. Show thyself to the world. Galilee was a retired and mountainous region, and thinly peopled, while Jerusalem was the great centre of movement and attraction.

      6. Your time is always ready. The meaning is, that they might go in safety at any time, as they were not, like him, objects of hate and conspiracy.

      11. Jews; Jewish rulers. The state of opinion among the common [218] people is described in the next verse. The expression the Jews is used in this manner repeatedly by John, as, for example, in v. 13, where it is limited, by its connection, to this signification.

      16. My doctrine; my teaching, my instruction.

      17. Of God; from God. A readiness to do our duty is essential to enable us to form opinions on subjects affecting duty; so that he who is not doing the will of God ought to place no reliance upon any religious opinions which he may be inclined to form.

      18. He that speaketh of himself. It does not mean concerning himself, but from himself; that is, of his own accord and on his own responsibility.

      20. Thou hast a devil. The people, not knowing the secret plots which the rulers had formed, attributed his fears to a disordered mind, produced, as they supposed, by an evil spirit.

      21. Marvel; express surprise and displeasure.

      22. Not--of Moses; not originally instituted by Moses, though by him enacted into law.

      27. Whence he is; his parentage and origin. [219]

      30. His hour; the time predetermined for his sufferings and death.

      33. Unto them; unto the people.

      38. Shall flow, &c.; an image very similar to that expressed 4:14.

      42. They supposed that Jesus had been born where he had resided from infancy, in Nazareth of Galilee.

      49. This people; the common people, whom they looked down upon with contempt.

      52. Ariseth no prophet; no prophet has ever arisen. [220]

      1. The Mount of Olives; an extended elevation of land, east of Jerusalem, where there were several retired villages. It was his customary place of refuge for the night, whenever circumstances rendered it unsafe for him to remain in the city.

      7. Without sin; pure, in respect to the charge which they had brought against the woman.

      9. Eldest; greatest, those of highest rank and dignity.--Alone; alone in the place where the accusers had stood. Other spectators probably remained around.

      11. The account of the adulterous woman here concluded is wanting in many of the earliest and best copies of the New Testament; and it is difficult now to ascertain whether it was omitted in some transcripts, or added without authority in others. It contains the highest internal evidence of being genuine; for an incident more strikingly characteristic of the genius and spirit of our Savior's teaching is not on record.

      13. Is not true; not to be relied upon.

      17. In your law; referring, probably, to Deut. 19:15. [221]

      20. The treasury; a public court within the enclosures of the temple.--For his hour was not yet come;--and in the mean time, the evil passions of his enemies were entirely under divine regulation and control.

      31. If ye continue. Many, who had for a time believed on him, afterwards left him, and went away, as is stated John 6:66.

      33. Seed; descendants.--Were never in bondage. Their pride and self-conceit blinded them to their political as well as to their moral condition; for their whole nation had long been under the iron yoke of the Romans. The very test and distinction of a Pharisee was an absurd and boundless self-complacency, which nothing could disturb. [222]

      43. Cannot hear; will not receive.

      51. Shall never see death; that is, shall enjoy eternal life and happiness.

      56. To see my day; to foresee it.

      57. Hast thou seen Abraham? He had not said that he had seen Abraham, but that Abraham saw his day. They wilfully perverted his words.

      3. Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; that is, as the cause of his blindness.

      4. While it is day; while I have opportunity. This seems to be mentioned as a reason why he should not postpone relieving the blind man on account of its being the Sabbath. (v. 14.)

      6, 7. We are left entirely uninformed in respect to the object and design of these measures. We observe, however, that, by thus doing something himself which might be considered as work, and requiring some action on the part of the patient, he came more directly into collision with the superstitious punctiliousness of the Pharisees, in respect to the observance of the Sabbath day.--Siloam, a fountain and basin of water in Jerusalem, very highly esteemed.

      16. A sinner; an impostor. [224]

      22. Be put out of the synagogue; by a sort of excommunication.

      23. Thus referring them to their son, in order to avoid the responsibility of expressing an opinion themselves.

      24. Give God the praise; that is, fear God, and confess that this is an imposture. See Josh. 7:19, for a similar expression.

      27. Did not hear; did not regard it.

      30. That ye know; not profess or pretend not to know.

      33. Of God; from God.

      34. Born in sins; born marked with visible tokens, as they supposed, of the divine displeasure.

      36. Who is he, Lord? perhaps not knowing that Jesus was the one who had restored him; for, as he hid not seen him before, he could not now have recognized him, but by his voice.

      39. Which see not; which: think they see not; that is, are aware of [225] their blindness and ignorance.--They which see; think they see.--Made blind; convinced of their ignorance, and made humble and lowly-minded.

      41. If ye were blind; conscious of your blindness and ignorance.

      1. He that entereth not by the door; that is, by Christ. (v. 7.) The condemnation is applied to those religious teachers, who, like the Pharisees, are destitute of the spirit of Christ, and teach salvation otherwise than through him. Climbing up some other way, refers to spiritual characteristics, not to a want of compliance with the forms of organization and office; for the Pharisees were punctilious, in the extreme, in respect to the latter.

      3. The porter; the person employed to keep the door of the fold.

      8. All that ever came before me, &c. It is plain, from the connection, that Jesus is speaking of the Pharisees and leading Jews; but how this very general expression can be grammatically limited to them in its application does not appear.

      9. Pasture; food, spiritual support.

      12. Hireling; that is, a man employed for wages, and influenced chiefly by his expected reward. [226]

      16. Of this fold; the Jewish nation.

      18. This commandment; this power.

      22. The feast of the dedication. This feast commemorated the renovation and purifying of the temple, after it had been desolated and polluted by foreign armies.

      23. Solomon's porch; an extensive piazza, or covered walk, on the eastern side of the temple.

      34. Ps. 82:6.

      35. Them unto whom the word of God came; that is, the commission of God; meaning those commissioned by him to execute his will.--Cannot be broken; cannot be pronounced wrong.

      36. Sanctified; consecrated to the work, viz., of redemption. In the reply of our Savior contained in this and in the two preceding verses, we observe that he neither affirms nor denies the charge advanced against [227] him by the Pharisees, (v. 33,) of making himself divine. He shows that his language is to be justified, on any supposition which may be made in regard to his character.

      1. Bethany; a village near Jerusalem--Mary and her sister Martha. They are mentioned Luke 10:38-42.

      2. Which anointed the Lord, &c.; afterwards, as narrated 12:3-9.

      6. He abode, &c.; to allow time for the results of the sickness of Lazarus to be fully developed.

      8. Sought to stone thee; as described 10:31, and 39.

      9. Are there not twelve hours, &c. The meaning seems to be that man may go forward in the discharge of his duty, at the proper time for its performance, safely and without fear. There is a light which will protect and guide him. It is when he attempts to walk in the night,--that is, to go where, or to do what, he ought not,--that he must expect to stumble and fall. [228]

      15. That I was not there; to heal him of his sickness, instead of, as now, restoring him from the dead.

      16. Didymus; the twin.--That we may die with him; with Jesus, who, he supposed, was going into the extreme of danger, Bethany being very near to Jerusalem.

      22. Even now, &c. This is not to be understood as an intimation from Martha that Lazarus might be restored to life, as is evident from the conversation which follows. The meaning is, that even now she did not doubt his power, although he had not been present to exercise it, in saving her brother.

      33. He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. This account of Jesus being so overwhelmed with grief, at the grave of a friend whom he knew that he was in a few moments going [229] to recall again to life, is one of those representations appearing at first view at variance with probability and the laws of the human mind, but, on closer examination, found to be entirely in accordance with them, which constitute a strong internal evidence of the honest historical fidelity of these narratives. Imagination would have pictured the Savior, under such circumstances as these, calm, composed, and, in consequence of his anticipation of the result, rising above all the emotions and sufferings of the scene. But this idea would rest on a superficial view. Grief is not of the nature of regret, its for a loss or a disappointment. It is a form of affection. It is love, as modified, when the object of it lies silent, cold, and lifeless,--a victim of the merciless destroyer. Grief may be mingled with regret for a loss, and with many other painful feelings; but it is, in its own nature, distinct from them all; and it rises spontaneously at the simple contemplation of a beloved object, dead, whatever may be the other circumstances that attend the bereavement. A mother, while dying herself, will mourn the death of her infant child, though, by the event, she expects to preserve, not lose, its society. And so the feelings of Jesus would naturally be as strongly moved to grief by this event, and by witnessing the scene of suffering and sorrow which it occasioned, as if he had been a Sadducee, and supposed that his lost friend had been blotted out of existence forever. In the pictures which the sacred writers have drawn, there are many such touches as this, so profoundly true to nature, in fact, and yet so apparently unnatural, that they would have required far greater knowledge and art, than these simple historians possessed, for their invention, as elements of interest in a fabricated story.

      39. Four days. If we allow one day for the messenger to go to the place beyond Jordan, where Jesus was, and one day for Jesus to come to Bethany, it will appear that Lazarus must have died about the time that the messenger left him.

      44. Bound hand and foot; entirely enveloped in grave clothes. [230]

      49. Ye know nothing at all. He said this in reply, probably, to those speakers in the council who had opposed putting Jesus to death.

      50. He meant that it was better that Jesus should die, whether he were guilty or not, rather than that the displeasure of the Romans should be incurred, and the whole nation be destroyed.

      51. That is, he was led by the divine Spirit to utter words susceptible of a prophetic interpretation,--so different from the meaning which he intended to convey.

      1. The passover; the passover during which he was crucified.

      2. There; in Bethany, but not at the house of Mary and Martha. It was at the house of Simon the leper, as we learn from Matt. 26:6. Martha came to aid in the service, and Lazarus, whose case had attracted great [231] attention, as stated below, (v. 9-11,) was an invited guest.

      6. The bag; in which was carried the money provided for the use of Jesus and his immediate followers. The sums necessary for these purposes seem to have been furnished by the contributions of friends. (Luke 8:3.)

      8. It seems, from Matt. 26:14, that it was immediately after this supper that Judas went to the priests, and made the arrangement for betraying Christ to them. It might have been under the influence of the irritation produced by this incident.

      10. The other three evangelists do not mention the raising of Lazarus from the dead. It has been supposed that they might have omitted to notice it, for fear or increasing the hostility of the Jews towards him, and putting his life in greater danger; whereas John did not write his history until so many years had elapsed that the danger had passed away.

      13. Branches of palm-trees. The palm-tree was a tall tree, with a single stem, which was surmounted with a tuft of feathery ramifications, six or eight feet long, and called sometimes branches and sometimes leaves. They were used in marches and processions as the emblems of rejoicing and victory.

      14. The manner in which the ass was procured is detailed particularly Luke 19:29-35.

      16. Understood not; that is, did not perceive them to be in fulfilment of prophecy.

      17. Bare record; testified publicly to the facts.

      18. Met him; went out to meet him, as stated v. 13.

      20. The feast; the passover (v. 1.) [232]

      21. We would see Jesus. It is uncertain with what design; perhaps from curiosity,--as he had acquired great celebrity by the raising of Lazarus, and by his triumphant entry into Jerusalem; or perhaps from a desire to enter into his service, regarding him as a prince about to assume power.

      24-26. The intent of this reply seems to be that his kingdom was about to be established, not by a demonstration of power and splendor, but by his sufferings and death,--events which would involve his followers in danger and distress; and that, consequently, whoever wished to enter into his service must expect to follow him into these trials.

      27. For this cause; for the very purpose of enduring these sufferings.

      31. Now is; is approaching.

      34. This Son of man. We observe that this expression is not contained in what Jesus had said, as reported above. And, undoubtedly, in all these cases, it is only the substance of the dialogue which the sacred writers record. It is possible, however, in this case, that they may refer to a preceding conversation. (3:14.)

      36. Did hide himself from them; by retiring to a private retreat upon the Mount of Olives, or in the gardens at its base, where he was accustomed to go, from this time, at night, for safety, and where he was safe from apprehension, until Judas, who knew the [233] place, conducted the soldiers thither, and betrayed him.

      39, 40. A great many attempts have been made to put some construction upon these words, which will limit, in some degree, the absolute control which it seems to imply, on the part of Jehovah, over all the acts and emotions of man. These attempts are not, however, very successful. It is far easier to decide that some such mitigating construction is required, by our ideas of moral philosophy, than it is to find one, and satisfy our minds that the words will honestly bear it.

      1. Now before the feast of the pass over; that is, at the commencement of it.

      4. His garments; his outer garments.--Girded himself; after the manner of a servant. [234]

      5. To wash, &c. This was a customary office to be performed for guests, at an entertainment, by servants. The only thing remarkable in the case was, that the service should have been performed, for this company, by one who was their Lord and Master, and possessed, too, of such a consciousness of personal dignity as is expressed in v. 3.

      7. Knowest not now; understandest not.--Hereafter; meaning very soon; for Jesus explained his design and meaning, as soon as he resumed his seat. (13-15.)

      10. Every whit; entirely. The meaning of the remark seems to be, simply, that, for his purpose at that time, the washing of the feet was all that was necessary.

      12. Know ye; understand ye.

      14. Ye also ought to wash one another's feet. He meant, by this symbolical act, to teach them that they ought not to be ambitious and aspiring, each endeavoring to rise above the rest, but humble, lowly-minded, in honor preferring one another. There was a tendency, at this time, to the former spirit, in the minds of the disciples. (Luke 22:24.)

      18. The passage here referred to is found Ps. 41:9.

      21. Testified; openly declared what he had only intimated before, in verses 18 and 19. [235]

      23. Leaning, &c.; according to the customary position at table.--One--whom Jesus loved. John often speaks of himself in these terms. It is noticeable that the other evangelists do not allude to his enjoying, in any special manner, the Savior's regard.

      24. Beckoned; made a signal.

      25. Saith unto him; privately.

      26. Jesus answered; that is, to John, in such a manner that the others did not hear.

      27. That thou doest, do, do quickly. During the preceding conversation, Judas must have been in a state of great anxiety and fear,--being, however, still uncertain how far his designs were really known. This last remark left him no longer any hope of concealment; but the detection produced irritation and anger, not repentance. Dreading probably an open exposure before all the disciples, he seems to have hastened away, in a fit of desperation, to enter at once upon the execution of his design.

      33. As I said unto the Jews; John 7:33, 34. 8:21.

      36. Whither, &c.; referring to what Jesus had said, (v. 33.)

      38. The cock shall not crow. Mark and Luke say before the cock crow twice. The meaning of both expressions is simply as if he had said, "Thou shalt deny me thrice before the morning." [236]

      7. Have seen him; seen him in Christ.

      12. Greater works; greater achievements in extending and establishing the Redeemer's kingdom; for the word works seems to refer, here, not to miracles, but to efforts in general made to bring men to repentance and salvation.

      19. Ye see me; ye shall see me.--Shall live; shall be preserved and protected.

      21. Hath; receiveth. [237]

      23. Jesus does not appear to reply directly to the question of Judas.

      24. Not mine; not mine alone.

      27. Peace I leave with you. This was the customary Hebrew form of farewell, and, of course, like other such forms, was used ordinarily without much regard to its import and signification. Jesus says that he pronounces the benediction, not as the world ordinarily do, that is, as a mere form, but that he truly invokes upon them a real peace. It was, however, peace of mind, not peace in regard to external circumstances; for perhaps twelve men never came together who had to pass through so many exciting scenes of persecution, trial, suffering, and worldly tribulation, in every form, as these disciples, to whom Jesus thus, at midnight, in their solitary chamber, promised this peculiar peace, and which he left them as his legacy. All these trials Jesus foresaw, and frankly foretold chap. 15:18-21. 16:1-4; and more distinctly still, 16:32, 33. This last promise was fulfilled; and nothing is more striking, in the subsequent history of the apostles, than the contrast between the perils, dangers, and agitations, of their condition, on the one hand, and the calm contentment and happiness of their hearts on the other. They enjoyed, at all times, a certain deep-seated repose and calmness of soul, which could not be reached or disturbed by external agitations.

      28. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, &c. The meaning seems to be, that they would rejoice in his approaching reunion with the Father, by which he would again be restored to the position of greatness and majesty, which he had left to assume the office of Mediator for man. (Comp. 17:5.)--My Father is greater than I. Jesus Christ, as speaking and acting upon earth, in the execution of his mediatorial office, was in no sense equal with the Father. It was the Word which was God. But Jesus Christ, in whom this Word was mysteriously conjoined with human nature, always assumed the position of obedience and submission, which is plainly recognized in all his allusions to the Father, and is here distinctly declared. It true that, in one passage, (10:30,) he says, "I and my Father are one;" but the sense which he intended to be understood is made clear in ch. 17:11, 22, when he prays that the same oneness which joins him, as Mediator, with the Father, may unite the disciples with him. [238]

      1. The conversation which follows is supposed to have taken place between Jesus and his disciples, on their walk, near midnight, from Jerusalem towards the Mount of Olives.--The husbandman; the cultivator who has planted the vine.

      2. Taketh away,--purgeth. These images are taken from the practice of the cultivator, who prunes away the barren branches, and endeavors to promote the health and thrift of those that are fruitful, by purging them of whatever is injurious, as moss, insects, and portions decayed.

      3. Now ye are clean; like the branch of the vine purified, as mentioned above.

      4. Except it abide in the vine; remain connected with the vine, so as to draw from it nourishment and support.

      11. In you; in regard to you; as if it were, "That my joy in you might remain," &c.

      15. The servant knoweth not, &c. is not intrusted with a knowledge of his master's designs. [239]

      22. They had not had sin; such aggravated sin.

      25. In their law; in their Scriptures, often called the law. Expressions similar to the quotation here made, are found Ps. 35:19, and 69:4, though the language is somewhat varied.

      1. These things; the premonitions which he had given them in respect to the trials and sufferings that were impending over them.--Be offended; surprised and disheartened, at the on set of unexpected calamities. [240]

      8. Reprove; teach, convince.

      10. Because I go to my Father. The meaning seems to be that the Holy Spirit was to instruct the world in respect to righteousness, that is, the nature of the duty which the law of God requires, since Jesus himself, who had made this, in its various branches, the great subject of all his teaching, was about to leave the world, and of course his instructions must be closed. Many commentators have supposed that by the word righteousness Jesus refers to his own innocence of the charges against him; but the sin mentioned in the preceding verse is the sin of others, if the righteousness mentioned here were his own, a pronoun would be required to change the subject, to which the words would respectively have pertained. That is, it should have been "to convince the world of their sin and of my righteousness." It seems clear, therefore, that all the words sin, righteousness, and judgment, should be understood in their general sense, and that the meaning of the tenth verse is, that the Holy Spirit was to urge upon men the nature and the 'Obligation of moral duty, since the instructions of Jesus were now to be closed.

      11. The prince of this world; Satan, spoken of in the Scriptures as the origin and representative of human wickedness.

      13. He shall not speak of himself; that is, he shall not make a new and independent revelation, diverse from what the Savior had taught.

      15. All things; that is, all that relates to moral truth.

      18. We cannot tell; we cannot understand. [241]

      25. In proverbs; obscurely.

      32. The event corresponded with this prediction, as recorded Matt. 26:56.

      3. This is life eternal; that is, the way and means to the attainment of life eternal. [242]

      11. No more in the world; no more to remain in it.

      15. Take them out of the world; rescue them from it; that is, from the dangers and sufferings which were threatening them.

      19. Sanctify myself; consecrate myself, that is, to the work of redemption.

      21. That they may be one in us. We observe that Jesus, in all the conversations which he held with his disciples, on the night before he was betrayed, separates himself from men, and joins his name always with that of the father--My Father will love him, and we will come unto him. (14:23;) The Comforter--whom the Father will send in my name, (26.) When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father. (15:26.) Thus the antithesis is between all men, good and bad, on the one hand, and himself in conjunction with the Father on the other. When we consider the unassuming meekness and modesty which marked the Savior's character, this seems wholly inconsistent with the idea that he regarded himself as a mere human messenger from heaven.

      24. Where I am; am to be. [243]

      4-6. The other evangelists give a very different account of the circumstances which attended the apprehension of Jesus. We can reconcile them only by supposing that Jesus advanced in order to surrender himself, and Judas in order to betray him, simultaneously, and that John relates one circumstance, and the three remaining evangelists the other.

      8. These, his disciples, who were with him.

      9. John 17:12.

      10. Malchus. John is the only evangelist who gives this servant's name. There are two other allusions to his acquaintance with the high priest's family, in v. 16, and v. 26.

      13. Annas was before this time the high priest, but he had been deposed. He was a man of considerable [244] distinction, still possessing a great degree of influence, and retaining his title, of office.

      20. The meaning is, that the open and public manner in which Jesus had always taught, was sufficient proof that he entertained no treasonable designs.

      23. If I have spoken evil; meaning in the public instruction which he had given, as mentioned in v. 20, 21.

      24. Had sent him; previously; for the events related in v. 15-23 took place at the house of Caiaphas.

      26. Saith; about an hour afterwards (Luke 22:59.)

      28. Defiled; ceremonially; this judgment-hall being the seat of a Roman, and of course Gentile tribunal. Their unwillingness to enter affords a strange illustration of the compatibility of excessive punctiliousness in the outward forms of religion, with the most complete moral corruption. These whited sepulchres, with hearts full of envy, hatred, and murder, could not go into a Roman building, lest they should be defiled!--The passover; that is, probably the remaining sacrifices and feasts of the paschal week; for, according to Luke 22:7, 13, 14, 15, the evening on which the paschal lamb was to be eaten, was the evening preceding. [245]

      31. It is not lawful, &c. The case of Stephen, and other evidence from secular writers, renders it doubtful whether the Jewish tribunals were absolutely prohibited from inflicting capital punishment, in all cases. Perhaps they meant that they were not allowed to punish by crucifixion, which was the object that they had determined upon effecting, if possible. This supposition comports best with the next verse.

      36. The argument used here by the Savior is that though he might have called himself a king, yet the whole tenor of his life, and the peaceable demeanor of his followers, showed that his kingdom was a spiritual kingdom; that is, that he claimed to be a king only in a figurative sense.

      37. Heareth my voice; obeyeth me; is my subject. The meaning is, that what he called his kingdom was only a spiritual kingdom, comprising all those that loved the truth.

      2. Purple robe; some rude garment probably, of a reddish color, which, like the reed for a sceptre, might represent, for the purposes of their mockery, the imperial purple.

      5. Behold the man! He hoped that they would have been satisfied with the sufferings which he had endured, and would consent to his release. [246]

      6. Take ye him, &c. This was not intended as a serious proposal, but was an expression of Pilate's indignation at the cruel wrong which they insisted on committing.

      7. By our law. They had not mentioned this charge, at first, in making out their accusation before Pilate, supposing that he would be more easily influenced by a charge of sedition. But finding him not convinced by that, they now advance the other.

      13. When Pilate,--heard that saying; and finding that the popular excitement was beginning to be uncontrollable. (Matt. 27:24.)

      16. Unto them; that is, to their will. One of Pilate's centurions had charge of the execution.

      18. They placed him in the midst, as the most atrocious of the criminals.

      19. This inscription is recorded by the evangelists in the following forms:--

      A very important principle is illustrated by this diversity, viz., that it is the custom of the sacred writers to use the form of a quotation of words from others, when, in fact, the words are their own, used only to express in a more distinct and vivid manner the [247] general ideas of their own minds. This was their mode of relating events,--clothing their own conceptions of the facts in language attributed to the actors. Even where they are recording real dialogue, they give the substance of what is said, in their own words. A comparison of the different accounts of the same conversation, recorded by the different evangelists, as, for example, the institution of the Lord's supper, the dialogue with Pilate, and any other case where the same dialogue is given by more than one evangelist, places this principle beyond question. It is a principle of fundamental importance, satisfactorily disposing of, as it does, a very large portion of the verbal discrepancies in the New Testament.

      22. What I have written, I have written; that is, I do not choose to alter it.

      23. The coat was without seam. The coat, as it is here called,--a garment very different from any now worn,--was of such a form as to admit of its being manufactured as here described.

      25. Mary the wife of Cleophas; in the other evangelists mentioned as the mother of James and Joses.

      26, 27. This brief but affecting mode of committing his afflicted mother to the care of his most devoted friend, at such an hour, is one of the most touching incidents in the Savior's history,--rendered still more so by the very feeling, and yet unaffected simplicity, with which John relates the circumstance. His last expression, took her to his own, has a force and meaning which the necessity of adding the word home, to preserve the English idiom, seriously impairs.

      29. A vessel full of vinegar; for the use of the soldiers, a preparation of vinegar being their common drink.

      30. He said, It is finished; with a loud voice, exulting in the final accomplishment of the great work of redemption. We notice that the [248] expression is, "It is finished." A mere martyr, enduring, passively, wrong done to him by others, would say, when he reached the end of his sufferings, "It is ended," or "It is over." Jesus said, "It is finished;" his mind regarding this great consummation, not as the end of the injuries which men had been inflicting upon him, but as the accomplishment of the great work which he had undertaken for them.

      31. That Sabbath day was a high day; that is, coinciding with the passover, it was a day of double sacredness and solemnity.

      33. And brake the legs; with clubs. This violence, previous to allowing the bodies to be taken down, was to guard against the possibility that the sufferers might revive, and their lives be saved.

      34. And pierced his side; to see whether there was any sensibility or life remaining.

      36. This was said originally of the paschal lamb. (Ex. 12:46. Num. 9:12.)

      39. For previous evidence of Nicodemus's friendly feeling towards Jesus, see John 7:50.--Myrrh and aloes; for the embalming of the body.

      42. Preparation-day; that is, for the Sabbath.

      1. Cometh Mary Magdalene. It would seem that she came before the party mentioned in Luke; or else, if she came with them, that she left them, and went back to call Peter and John, before the events took place which Luke records. [249]

      2. To Simon Peter; to his house in the city.

      3. And came to the sepulchre; after the party mentioned by Luke had gone away.

      14. Turned herself back; to go home.

      18. As has already been remarked, several hypotheses have been framed, by ingenious scholars, to combine the various incidents related by the different evangelists, as having occurred in the vicinity of the sepulchre on the morning of the resurrection, into one harmonious narrative. These hypotheses are all framed on the supposition that the scene was one of great excitement; that many persons must have been going and returning in different groups and parties,--some, perhaps visiting the sepulchre several times,--and that, consequently, a considerable number and variety of incidents would occur there; and that each of the evangelists, instead of describing fully what took place, has only related such incidents as were particularly reported to him. On this view of the subject, [250] it has not been found difficult to frame hypotheses by which the various incidents related are combined into one connected narrative, the seeming omissions and connecting links being supplied by conjecture. These hypotheses are, however, of little value, except to show that the accounts can be reconciled, and so are not inconsistent. Farther than this, there can be no valuable end attained by framing hypotheses, which rest, of course, wholly on conjecture.

      19. Came Jesus. Just before he appeared, however, the disciples from Emmaus came into the assembly, giving an account of what they had seen. (Luke 24:33.)

      21. Again; after supping with them. (Luke 24:41.)

      28. My Lord and my God. It cannot be doubted that these terms were both applied by Thomas personally to the Savior. The attempts to give some other construction to such expressions are now generally abandoned by those who are unwilling to admit, on any evidence, the inference which flows from them. They find it to be easier to take the ground that the apostles themselves were in error, than to force unnatural constructions upon language so unequivocal as that which they often used.

      30. Signs; proofs of the reality of his resurrection. [251]

      1. At the Sea of Tiberias; in Galilee, and thus we find that, after all the exciting scenes of the life, death, and resurrection, of the Savior were passed these disciple return to their old home, and their early occupations. It was however, only for a very brief season; for they were back to Jerusalem again, where they remained until they were endued with power from on high, to preach the gospel.

      4-8. It is remarkable that a circumstance very similar to this is recorded Luke 5:4-8, as occurring at an early part of our Savior's ministry.

      5. Meat; food.

      11. Drew; that is, with the help of the others. [252]

      20. The disciple whom Jesus loved; John, the author of this Gospel. [253]

[AINT 200-253]